Some random thoughts on the passing California political scene…

• Apparently in both San Francisco and in Oakland, they have adopted a bizarre method of “ranked voting” in their elections, designed to save the expense of runoff elections.  Instead of voting for their favorite candidates, instead they rank-order their favorites – 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice.  Then when the ballots are counted, if no one gets a majority, the lowest vote getter is dropped, and the people who voted for that candidate have their votes redistributed to their 2nd choice candidate, and so-on.  Totally bizarre.
• Well, from the “be careful what you ask for…” files, a totally bizarre, off the wall candidate for Oakland Mayor, Councilwoman Jean Quan, who got less than a quarter of the 1st place votes, has apparently emerged as the new Mayor.  This system allowed all of the whack votes to ultimately solidify behind the top whack.  Crazy.
• It looks like both the University of California and the California State University systems are going to raise their tuition and fees, respectively.  Look for faux outrage from those employees of those systems that have outrageous defined benefit pensions (which is not all of the employees, by the way).  I would be impressed if those preparing to retire with six figure annual retirement payouts took voluntary reductions to help stave-off the higher costs for students.  Don’t hold your breath.  I’m not.
• Orange County Republican Congressman Ed Royce is making a spirited bid to head up the House Financial Services Committee, which for the last four years has been lorded over by socialist Barney Frank.  Standing between Royce and the gavel is GOPer Spencer Baucus.  Baucus voted for the TARP bailouts – twice, as well as for the ridiculous cash for clunkers welfare for the auto industry.  Royce, on the other hand was, was one of the biggest critics of these massive, wasteful initiatives.  We’ll see whether seniority, which would favor Baucus, is trumped by sanity, which would favor Royce. 
• Apparently Governor-Elect Jerry Brown wants to do away with California’s Secretary of Education Post (we would still have a Board of Education, and an independently elected Superintendent of Public Instruction) – to this I say bravo!  It’s rare to see government positions eliminated.  Of course the outgoing (nominally) Republican Governor this year championed adding a new state official to the payroll – to head up oversight of volunteerism (and who said volunteerism was free?).
• If House Republicans tap egregious porker Jerry Lewis (who was dubbed the “Minority Maker” by the Wall Street Journal for his big-spending ways) or frankly any of the other big spenders on the Appropriations Committee to serve as its next Chairman, it will show incredible tone-deafness and will be an affront to the message of 2010.  What is needed is intervention here.  Time to grab someone from outside of the list of current “Appropriations Cardinals” and put them in charge of what has been the favor factory.
• Orange County Supervisors rejected a move to provide transparency by requiring those who lobby county government to disclose who they are, and who has hired them.  My distrust for big business these days is at an all time high, as they seek to use government to advantage their position or harm competitors.  It seems like at least knowing more of the influence web they are weaving would be a good thing…
• While the rest of free-America sees the Oakland election results as a reason to scrap their “ranked voting” system, the whacks on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are all undoubtedly salivating.  I’m sure each is saying, “Under this system, even I could become Mayor of San Francisco.”
• With this last election a whole new host of local part-time officials were elected or re-elected to city councils, school boards, and water boards up and down the state.  Here is my advice.  Don’t take full-time benefits!  Just REJECT THEM.  Turn down healthcare plans (or money in lieu of) and turn down retirement benefits.  How can we rely on you to be fiscally prudent with your agency’s employees when you can’t limit your own excess.  In the private sector these kinds of benefits are not normal for part-time employees, not should they be in the public sector.
• It’s surprising that any volunteerism in state government is even still allowed.  Seems like over time the public employee unions, who see volunteers as a threat, have banned volunteerism in so many places.  Rather infamously local school districts can have volunteers run libraries because a law prevents a volunteer from doing the work of a displaced union member. 
• Today the state’s Legislative Analyst will come out with their financial analysis for the state of California.  No matter how you slice it, it will not be pretty.  Fortunately the voters have solved the problem by allowing Democrats to pass and the Governor to sign a budget without a single Republican vote.  It will be a tremendous undertaking to see the Democrat-only prioritization of what to cut for our state to live within its means.
• Former Senate President Don Perata was, by far, the top vote-getter of “First Choice” votes in Oakland.  But thanks to the bizarre voting system, he literally watched the office of Mayor slip from his grasp.  Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy than the recipient of FR’s “Golden Pig” Award for his love of big spending while a legislative leader in the Capitol.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.